Job Description

Youth Peer Specialist
Jackson Heights, NY 11372
When you join the CCBQ Team, you will have an impact on the lives of many. For over 125 years, Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens has been providing quality social services to the neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Queens, and currently offers 160-plus programs and services for children, youth, adults, seniors, and those struggling with mental illness. Our Clinics are community-based which offer a professional and welcoming environment for both clients and staff. The Clinics provide psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological therapy, as well as individual, group, family therapy, crisis intervention, medication management, case management and collateral sessions. Our staff members follow an approach to health care that emphasizes wellness, recovery, trauma-informed care, and physical-behavioral health integration.

Why you will enjoy being part of our team:
1. Competitive Salaries and Benefits
2. Professional Development
3. High-Quality Supervision
4. Opportunities for Advancement
STATEMENT OF THE JOB
The Youth Peer Specialist operates within the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics and delivers services to consumers of behavioral health services in clinics, community, hospital, schools, and other public venues. The Youth Peer Specialist will specialize in providing support to youth (primarily between the ages of 12-26), who are experiencing social, medical, emotional, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenges. The purpose is to ensure engagement and active participation of the young person in their treatment and decisions that affect their lives. Youth Peer services are provided by a trained and credentialed Youth Peer Advocate who has personal lived experience as a young person with a social, medical, social, developmental, substance use, and/or behavioral challenge, or has received services in any one of the children serving systems (juvenile justice, foster care, special education, or addiction recovery). These services can be provided in both individual and group settings.
• Utilize experience and knowledge to support consumers/clients with their own crisis.
• Provide on hand technical assistance for various systems and provider organizations in New York City.
• Escort consumer/clients who may have anxiety or other issues around attending doctor's appointments, hospital visits, entitlement offices, or other health and wellbeing activities.
• Participate and or lead support groups and informational groups around pertinent consumer/client/family member topics.
• Provide one on one assistance through discussion and encouragement for consumers/ clients in crisis.
• Reach out to providers to assist consumer/clients in crisis as needed.
• Participate in Quality Improvement projects and assist in the collection of data, particularly data that identifies risk such as hospitalization data
• Collaborate with family members/caregivers, when clinically appropriate, to help establish an
effective support system for the consumer/client.
QUALIFICATIONS
• High School Diploma or GED.
• Provisional or Standard New York State Peer Specialist Certification in one of the following:
A Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate (YPA): An individual who is credentialed as a youth peer support worker in New York State from a certifying authority recognized by the Offices.
• Must have lived experience as a youth receiving mental health or related youth services.
• History of mental illness/substance use/addiction and to be well-established in a lived experience of recovery.
• Knowledge of CCBHC, NYSOMH, and/or OASAS regulations/requirements preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to include the ability to coordinate with a multi-disciplinary team in order to support whole person care.
• Ability to read and write.
• Knowledge of computer programs (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Outlook).
• Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.
• Able to work flexible hours and days -including weekends/evenings/holidays when requested, according to needs of a 24/7 programs.
• Frequently lifts and/or moves up to 10 pounds.
• Should be able to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, & office equipment.
• Ability to read printed materials and computer screens.
• Ability to travel extensively in the community and use public transportation throughout the five boroughs to provide home visits, hospital visits, and meet in the community at various venues.
BENEFITS
We offer competitive salary and excellent benefits including:
• Generous time off (Vacation/ Personal Days/ Sick Days/ Paid Holidays annually)
• Medical,
• Dental
• Vision
• Retirement Savings with Agency Match
• Transit * Flexible Spending Account
• Life insurance
• Training Series and other additional voluntary benefits.
For more information on our organization, please visit our website at: www.ccbq.org EOE/AA.
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